The Play: Songs For A New World, written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, presented by Musical Theatre Productions, co-directed by Angela Southern and Nicole Newell, with musical direction by Southern.

The Show: This is an abstract musical where a series of songs are all connected by a theme — decision time. But the company says in a press release the show “is not just about facing these moments but surviving them. It’s about the way we regroup and figure out how to survive in a new set of circumstances — a new world — even against seemingly overwhelming odds. . . . The show transports its audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue and continues to introduce us to a startling array of characters ranging from a young man who has determined that basketball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams and a soulless marriage.” The show’s music covers a number of genres, including pop, gospel and jazz with several songs combining two or more of the genres. Many of the songs combine elements of two or more of these genres. The cast of 20 singers and actors perform on instruments ranging from drums, percussion, djembe and trumpet to clarinet, piano, violin, and melodica, in addition to their acting and singing duties.

The Quote:“The show is about people who come up against obstacles and how they get through them. Each song is a powerful stand-alone experience that will resonate with anyone who has been at a crossroads in life and had to consider the road not taken.”

— co-director Nicole Newell.

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IF YOU GO

What: Songs For A New World, written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, presented by Musical Theatre Productions, co-directed by Angela Southern and Nicole Newell, with musical direction by Southern.